Thursday, July 11, 2013

SLURPEE TIME

So I know that many people have probably stopped in at their local 7-eleven store and picked up their free small slurpee.   Well we were no exception.  

After I headed to the school for the last day of the summer lunches (that are free for the kids) I drove over to our 7-eleven and surprisingly the lines weren't very long at all.   So I was in line with my SIX kids to get our slurpees. 

We waited less then five minutes in line and ended up with 7 tasty slurpees and six balloons!  

Now I told my kids that I wanted them to pose for a picture before they all took off in their own directions once we got home.   When I take pictures of my kids I am mostly all about the candid shots.   So I don't get too technical and I'm not always checking for "merging" items in the shot.  It's not always composed very well but it's a memory.  And this picture is a prime example... I was laughing when I looked at this first one.  
 Now this second one I actually took first and I think it's one I'm going to be laughing at for years to come as well. I love my little Esther's stance, and the look on her face.  
So we hope you all had a fun 7-eleven/free slurpee day like we did. 

Monday, May 13, 2013

Hubs is sick, I'm not.

I feel so bad that my hubby has been sick now for an entire week.  Seems to be a bionic case of the flu or a cold, but it's been miserable for him.  

However, while he's been sick I've been busy. 

Busy buying flowers -- he couldn't say no, because he felt so sick.  (He actually told me that I could go buy some, he just didn't say how much $ was the limit) hehe.. 

Busy planting those flowers -- Several pots on the front porch a few in the back of the house, four hanging baskets, all of that equals a lot of flowers and a lot of awesome color. 

Busy buying four new planter containers to use on the front porch, which look awesome by the way. 

Busy mowing the front yard, followed by the back yard the next day. 

Busy setting up the cooler in order for us to use it on the HOT days that are lurking at the door step. 

Busy taking kids to this activity or that one. Taking all six kids to a class play that one of our daughters (Katherine) was performing in. 

Busy taking care of my family and wondering where in the world I'm finding energy to keep going for so long.  But, I'm really starting to feel it today.  

Busy transplanting our seed starts into the garden. 

Busy helping my sick husband with new home made tomato cages. These should be 100% better than the little flimsy ones that we've been using for the last several years. 

Busy planting more strawberries into our make shift flower bed in the back yard. 

And if that wasn't enough.... I now feel that our garden space needs to be lengthened another 8 ft. so that I can plant the rest of our seed starts and have enough room for everything.  

I love SPRING and all the outside work that I can do.  I just wish I loved doing the inside work just as much.  But I don't.    I don't know what it is about doing things outside that really gets me motivated but I love being outside and fixing up the yard.   Now to apply the same thought process to the inside, that has obviously been neglected the last four days. 

Monday, May 6, 2013

T-man Before and After

Before:


After: 


This is a first for this kid.  8 years old and finally losing his FIRST tooth, which he 
asked his Dad to pull out.  And then, a week later he had his Dad pull out the other front 
tooth right beside it.  It was a good thing though that the first tooth finally came out 
because the other tooth was already growing in and once I realized that then we made it a 
matter of urgency to get the other one out.  This happened April 28th, 2013.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Bed Time Change

A few things are changing around here, and quite frankly I like the change.

I've forgotten how nice it is to have a "bed" time.  For so many years, I have always had little babies and little people that pretty much dictate when I would go to bed.  But no more!

Our, as in Chris and I have a bedtime of 10pm - where we are to be in our room and lights out in the rest of the house.  Which isn't a bad thing.  I find myself getting a lot more sleep - (and I've only done this the last two nights)  The girls have to be in their rooms by 9:30 and that gives them 30 minutes for reading until lights out at 10pm.   The younger kids are to be in their rooms with lights out at 8:30.  The baby by 8pm.

I think my kids need an example of what's important to me for them to do the right things.  They are resisting like crazy but with my husband and I both on board with this, I think things will change around behaviorally sooner rather than later.  And that things will be a lot more enjoyable to us as a family.  

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Great Friends = Great Girls Night Out

I just really have to take a few moments and just mention how much I love the friends that I have.  Tonight there was a "girls night out" of sorts planned by a friend to celebrate another friends birthday from earlier in the week.  Now having lived in this house for nearly 12 years we've seen a lot of neighbors come and go.  Some I've been sad to see go, and others are here so short a time that they move before I know who they are.  But there are a few of us that have been here for a while and we get along well.  We're all of various ages some of the older women could be some of the younger ones mothers.  But we all get along and it's great.  

I love how we can get together and have fun and chat and be there for one another.  We don't have to be drinking or smoking or being completely WILD to have fun.  But in our own way we are crazy wild, but we always have a great time laughing.  And uplifting each other.   This truly is what life is about beyond the scope of your own family.  These ladies are accepting and honest and fun.   Next to my college room mates (who will always be my best friends), these are the other "best" friends that I have.  I always feel accepted and appreciated while I'm around.  And sometimes when we're out and about, I feel uplifted even if it's just a wave as we drive past one another.  

I know back in high school I didn't really feel like I had a "group" to belong to. Because on the weekends most activities were of the nature that I didn't want to associate with and that was fine with me.  As I've gotten a little more mature and wiser I know that I now have friends and groups taht I feel like I belong to, and know that these ladies will help me out in a pinch if needed.  And some of them have and I'm sure they will in the future and I'd do the same thing for them too.  

It's a great lead in to my Sabbath day tomorrow.  A great day to go and be filled with spiritual matters to help me be a more Christlike person and really trying to push myself into becoming the best me I can be.  My weeks are made bearable because I get this chance to refill my reservoirs of spiritual nourishment and then can proceed to do those things which are best.  

Mostly just for my benefit. 
(So a huge thank you to .... Brittany Scott, Elisha Trask, Kanani Horito - her birthday celebration - and her daughters, Rachel Whipple, Cathy Jackson and her daughter Brittany, Clarissa O'Connor, Aja Floyd, Jen Bates)  A few others that weren't there tonight  Brenda Hendrickson, Cheryl Sheffield, Anne Gregerson, Linda Dayton, Natashia McClean, Jean Ashby.    I'm sure I'm forgetting someone but just know that I appreciate them all.  So when I have time, I make sure to let them know that I'm thinking about them.  

Friday, January 11, 2013

Friday Ramblings

So ....

It's a new year and all and we've been going crazy around here. 

This is a Friday so I want to get back to my Friday Ramblings posts that I used to do.


Christmas:  Went better than expected.  Why?  Well, I (Wendy) came down with some strain of the flu on Christmas Eve and slept in my bed all day.  The older kids tried to pawn the baby onto me, but I simply explained that I was too sick to do anything for her or any of them really.  So they took over and watched her until Chris came home around 12:30pm that day.   I realized that I was sick, had no energy and that whatever wasn't done would have to be done by someone else or just go on the wayside this year.  And pictures pretty much did.  I snapped a few but haven't really even seen what I got yet.   But come Christmas day, we still celebrated by opening presents but we did it much later than usual.  And ... the best part I got a Christmas nap -- and that NEVER happens.   Poor Ethan and Kaylee were also sick at that time too.  Luckily now, we're all doing much better and fairly healthy except for a few sniffles and random coughs here and there. Here's a picture of us from our ward Christmas party back in December

New Years:  We didn't do much, mainly because we were just over having been sick, and those whom we would have done something with had gotten some sick kids also.   However, we did have our niece Ashley over and she spent the night and I think Kaylee and Katherine really enjoyed their time with her.  They watched (and Chris and I bombed the party)  Snow White and the Huntsman from Redbox, and then they just do what teen girls do ... talk a lot, giggle, play some games, not get any sleep, and actually wake up earlier then they ever do normally the next morning.   It's a new year, and I've set out to make some more improvements.  

Photography:   LOVE IT!!  I've had the chance to do some photo shoots over the last several months, and I'm hooked again!!  NOt that I ever became unhooked, but being preggo and having a newborn baby to care for for the last little while kind of put me in the "slow down" and do nothing with photography mode.   I have done a lot of newborn sessions and one from just last Saturday that I really enjoyed ...

To view more from this session or any other pictures I've taken please visit my photography blog.
So I finally decided on a name to go with for my 'business'... Wendy Lynn Photography.   I'm hoping to really get up and going (meaning making some $$ ) come Spring and through to next Fall.   Here's a link to my photography blog ....  It's definitely been a journey, but one that I've enjoyed.  I've also decided that I want to do a High School Senior Rep program starting this spring also.  And you can read all about that here.    So please keep me in mind when you find yourself needing photos taken.   Newborns, children, High School Seniors, and I'd like to venture into doing more couples pictures like engagements.   I know a little plug for my photography work, but it's something I really enjoy and is almost like an addiction, but a good one.  *wink*

SCHOOL:   We have been at a new school for this school year and the children have settled in quite nicely.  There is still homework which is good, but the load isn't as heavy as it was.   And that has relieved a lot of stress form the child it was really affecting.  Katherine tried out for the intermediate ballroom dance team at her middle school and made it for this next semester.  However, currently we're working on her schedule to see if we can fit that class in, but so far no luck.    Kaylee has been in band and is picking up on the clarinet so quickly.  We love to listen to hear practice.   And the other kids are adapting just as well. 

No Cable:  We've been almost a year without cable, and it's been NICE.  I do miss it sometimes but only sometimes.   We didn't have the kids whining to us about "I want this, I want that and have these lists for Christmas that are insanely loaded down with all this JUNK.  We've been working on trying to get the house more tidied up and looking good all the time.  (And I say this as my house looks a bit of wreck)  
The kids have really picked up on reading and of all the things that Chris thought his kids would need an intervention with when he was younger, he never thought he'd have to tell them to quit reading.  We have one kid that will stay up late into the night reading.      So we are making frequent visits to the library to make sure that these kiddos have fresh new material to read. 


And finally our HOUSE:  This place was perfect for us nearly 12 years ago when we bought it.  We had just two little girls who were nearly one and nearly two and had only planned on being here maybe 5 years. You know just until Chris was done with school.  Well guess what?   It's not so perfect for us anymore and we won't be in a place financially to upgrade for a few more years.  So if you really and truly thing we're needing it NOW.  I agree.    Since we've moved in we have added 4 more children and the children don't stay little for some reason, they get bigger and thus their space needs become a little bigger too.   So, if you'd like to see us upgrade sooner rather than later, please pray for us, or .... throw some business my way.  (Remember up above where I am hoping to make some money this year)  that's the business I'm talking about.  Spread the word --- PLEASE!    The sooner we can save up for a down payment the sooner we can upgrade our living situation.  We have a 3 bedroom, one bath home with just under 1200 square feet.  We're feeling just a bit REALLY cramped.